EDUCATIONAL TRAINING IN THE PROJECT "GOCCIA-GENERA"

Introduction:
The training included in the project "Goccia-Genera" involved nine women who were chosen according to their qualifications and to selection tests.

Main Aim:
To obtain competence in educational planning by applying a model of development based on the theory of Gestalt Psychotherapy and on D.Stern's theory of development to knowledge about children's development and to the relationships between adults and children.

Other aims:
- To obtain knowledge about interpersonal communication;
- To obtain knowledge about the development of the cycle of contact;
- To obtain knowledge about the experiences children aged from 0 to 3 undergo to learn about themselves;
- To acquire organizational and methodological skills;
- To acquire experience within the crèche;
- To acquire promotional and managerial skills.

Organization:
Lessons were held from December 1998 to June 1999 and they were organized in the following manner:
- 72 hours of theory lessons;
- 88 hours of lessons and educational planning;
- 100 hours of supervision and practical experience;
Total: 260 hours.
The lessons of theory and educational planning were held on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons; practical experience was carried out on Friday mornings while working with the children.
The lessons were held at the crèche"La Goccia".

Methodology
The training included the following 6 modules:
- Interpersonal communication (lessons held by A.Caruso).
- Educational and pedagogical organization (lessons held by M.G.(Dada) Iacono).
- Educational psychology (lessons held by D.Colombo).
- Seminar on "Time and Relationships" (held by G.Salonia).
- Marketing techniques (lessons held by E.Messineo).
- Methodology and training supervision (lessons held by D.Colombo).
- Supervision of the project: G.Salonia.

Modules
1) Interpersonal communication (lessons held by A.Caruso):
- Communication barriers
- Communicative skills
a) The listener's role;
b) The speaker's role;
- Types of communication
a) descriptive;
b) representative;
c) regulative;
d) cooperative in a conflict;
- Interpersonal perception
- Empathetic communication
1) listening and problems in listening;
2) examination of intentions;
3) empathetic listening;
4) critical evaluation of the message
5) supporting behaviour (verbalising, feedback and reformulation)

2) Educational and pedagogical organization (lessons held by M.G. (Dada) Iacono:
- Formation of work group: motivation and expectations, group dynamics.
Activities carried out: non verbal activities, collection of information, communication simulation, closing patterns.
- Perception and roles within the group: descriptive and connotative communication, observation, factors which cause problems to perception.
Activities: brainstorming, practice, role-plays, reading of passages.
- Observation of children, context and relationships.
Activities: observation using charts, reading passages, comparisons.
-Listening in teaching: body language as a way of sending messages, listening to and responding to children's messages.
Activities: trusting one's own body, simulation: feeding the children, videorecording.
-The event and the re-organization of the group: studying the event, transforming it into a game, making it meaningful.
- Relationships as contact: reference to the diagram of the cycle of contact according to Gestalt Psychotherapy.
Activities: brainstorming, contact perception, simulation with a "stubborn" child.
- Examination of the problem as a creative resource: definition of the problem, analysis of the situation and of the data, the group seen as a resource, the first fundamental concepts of Rational and Emotional Psychotherapy in an increased awareness of the problem.
Activities: presentation of the problem, analysis of the problem carried out in the group, search for solutions, reading of passages about action-research.
- Examination of the experiences according to the different phases of the development of contact: the cycle of contact, the experiences in the crèche, planning.
Activities: presentation of the experiences, analysis according to the cycle of contact, reorganization in charts.

3) Educational Psychology (lessons held by D.Colombo):
- The experience
- The cycle of contact/Withdrawal: functions and disturbances
- Basic experiences of the self from the age of 0 to 3
- Application of the cycle of contact and of the basic functions of the self to the micro and macro experiences at the crèche (the school day and the school year)

4) Time and Relationship (held by G.Salonia):
- Increase in the awareness of the relationships
- The social Ego and the private Ego
- Relationships seen as a dance
- Connections between time, one's body, and experience
- Self-regulation of relationships.

5) Marketing techniques (lessons held by E.Messineo):
- Definition of marketing
- Marketing practice
- Types of trade orientation in businesses
- Application of marketing
- Administration in marketing systems
- The life-cycle of a product
- Development of the fundamental elements of marketing related with the different phases in the life-cycle of a product
- Market subdivision
- Buying behaviour
- Analysis of a service according to different parameters
- Marketing orientation applied to services
- Promotional strategies.

6) Methodology and training supervision (lessons held by D.Colombo)
- Examination of the observation carried out on the children
- Examination of the observation carried out on the teachers
- Identification of the phases of the children's development
- Identification of the basic experiences of the self which the children have not yet undergone
- Planning and carrying out of educational experiences based on the different phases of the development of contact and the basic functions of the self lacking in the children.
Activities: All the activities were carried at the crèche with the children, followed by discussions in small groups without the children.

previous chapter | up | next chapter